Developing a Global Competency Mindset in an International, Faculty-led Program in Brazil Focused on Sustainable Energy

Courtney Pfluger

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: International Division (INTL) Technical Session #1: Global Competency
Tagged Division: International Division (INTL)
Page Count: 12
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--44647
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/44647
Download Count: 134

Paper Authors

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Courtney Pfluger Northeastern University

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Dr. Courtney Pfluger took a position in Fall 2011 as an Assistant Teaching Professor at Northeastern University as a part of the First Year Engineering Faculty and affiliated Faculty in the Chemical Engineering Department. Dr. Pfluger redesigned and piloted the first-year curriculum which included engineering design and computational problem solving using the Engineering Grand Challenges as real-world applications of global issues. She developed and ran for 8 years a faculty-led international program to Brazil focused on Sustainable Energy and Brazilian Culture. This program educates students on the effects of various energy systems and the challenges of social and environmental justice in developing countries. In 2017, Dr. Pfluger moved into the ChE department where she implemented improvements in the Transport 2 Lab and Capstone courses. She assists Capstone students to develop dynamic design projects that address and help solve real-world, global challenges. Dr. Pfluger has served as the AIChE Student Chapter Faculty Advisor for 10 years and is chair of the AIChE Student Chapter Committee. She is a Mathworks Teaching Fellow and has won serval teaching awards such as Northeastern Chemical Engineering Department Sioui Award for Excellence in Teaching, Northeastern College of Engineering Essigmann Outstanding Teaching Award, AIChE Award for Innovation in Chemical Engineering Education, and the Northeastern Inaugural Global Educator Award.

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Abstract

With the globalization of our world, it is important for engineering graduates to not just gain an understanding of global issues that impact today’s society but become global problem solvers. To do this, students need to attain global competence, which is the ability to understand issues that affect all people, especially those who have a perceived different cultural background, and to apply these understandings in intercultural situations. This paper investigates how engineering students that participated in an international, faculty-led 5-week program in Brazil, focused on sustainable energy, were able to develop global competency skills. As part of this one-month program, the students took two second year level courses, Energy Systems and Chemical Engineering Conservation Principles. During the program, the students visited multiple sustainable energy sites and talked with Brazilian industrial leaders who pioneered these technologies. They participated in designing a sustainable urban development project for a Brazilian energy technology company, CPFL Energia, and in collaboration with Brazilian engineering students from Universities in Brazil. The development of global competencies in the students on this program were researched using the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) global competence framework and questionnaire. The PISA global competence framework has four pillars: 1. the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and cultural significance; 2. the capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and world views; 3. the ability to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and 4. the capacity to take action toward sustainable development and collective well-being.[1] The students were given the voluntary questionnaire before and after the program to Brazil which included the PISA global competence questions as well as information on demographics, languages spoken, and personal cultural influences. This paper discusses the pedagogical and programmatic strategies that were implemented in the short-term international, faculty-led program to meet each of the 4 pillars of global competence. It also provides results and insight into which constructs of global competencies were strengthened in engineering students after participating in the program. With the globalization of our world, it is important for engineering graduates to not just gain an understanding of global issues that impact today’s society but become global problem solvers. To do this, students need to attain global competence, which is the ability to understand issues that affect all people, especially those who have a perceived different cultural background, and to apply these understandings in intercultural situations. This paper investigates how engineering students that participated in an international, faculty-led 5-week program in Brazil, focused on sustainable energy, were able to develop global competency skills. As part of this one-month program, the students took two second year level courses, Energy Systems and Chemical Engineering Conservation Principles. During the program, the students visited multiple sustainable energy sites and talked with Brazilian industrial leaders who pioneered these technologies. They participated in designing a sustainable urban development project for a Brazilian energy technology company, CPFL Energia, and in collaboration with Brazilian engineering students from Universities in Brazil. The development of global competencies in the students on this program were researched using the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) global competence framework and questionnaire. The PISA global competence framework has four pillars: 1. the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and cultural significance; 2. the capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and world views; 3. the ability to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and 4. the capacity to take action toward sustainable development and collective well-being.[1] The students were given the voluntary questionnaire before and after the program to Brazil which included the PISA global competence questions as well as information on demographics, languages spoken, and personal cultural influences. This paper discusses the pedagogical and programmatic strategies that were implemented in the short-term international, faculty-led program to meet each of the 4 pillars of global competence. It also provides results and insight into which constructs of global competencies were strengthened in engineering students after participating in the program. 1. OECD (2019), "PISA 2018 Global Competence Framework", in PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Framework, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/043fc3b0-en.

Citation
Format

Pfluger, C. (2023, June), Developing a Global Competency Mindset in an International, Faculty-led Program in Brazil Focused on Sustainable Energy Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44647

TY - CPAPER
AB - With the globalization of our world, it is important for engineering graduates to not just gain an understanding of global issues that impact today’s society but become global problem solvers. To do this, students need to attain global competence, which is the ability to understand issues that affect all people, especially those who have a perceived different cultural background, and to apply these understandings in intercultural situations.
This paper investigates how engineering students that participated in an international, faculty-led 5-week program in Brazil, focused on sustainable energy, were able to develop global competency skills. As part of this one-month program, the students took two second year level courses, Energy Systems and Chemical Engineering Conservation Principles. During the program, the students visited multiple sustainable energy sites and talked with Brazilian industrial leaders who pioneered these technologies. They participated in designing a sustainable urban development project for a Brazilian energy technology company, CPFL Energia, and in collaboration with Brazilian engineering students from Universities in Brazil.
The development of global competencies in the students on this program were researched using the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) global competence framework and questionnaire. The PISA global competence framework has four pillars: 1. the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and cultural significance; 2. the capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and world views; 3. the ability to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and 4. the capacity to take action toward sustainable development and collective well-being.[1] The students were given the voluntary questionnaire before and after the program to Brazil which included the PISA global competence questions as well as information on demographics, languages spoken, and personal cultural influences.
This paper discusses the pedagogical and programmatic strategies that were implemented in the short-term international, faculty-led program to meet each of the 4 pillars of global competence. It also provides results and insight into which constructs of global competencies were strengthened in engineering students after participating in the program.
With the globalization of our world, it is important for engineering graduates to not just gain an understanding of global issues that impact today’s society but become global problem solvers. To do this, students need to attain global competence, which is the ability to understand issues that affect all people, especially those who have a perceived different cultural background, and to apply these understandings in intercultural situations.
This paper investigates how engineering students that participated in an international, faculty-led 5-week program in Brazil, focused on sustainable energy, were able to develop global competency skills. As part of this one-month program, the students took two second year level courses, Energy Systems and Chemical Engineering Conservation Principles. During the program, the students visited multiple sustainable energy sites and talked with Brazilian industrial leaders who pioneered these technologies. They participated in designing a sustainable urban development project for a Brazilian energy technology company, CPFL Energia, and in collaboration with Brazilian engineering students from Universities in Brazil.
The development of global competencies in the students on this program were researched using the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) global competence framework and questionnaire. The PISA global competence framework has four pillars: 1. the capacity to examine issues and situations of local, global and cultural significance; 2. the capacity to understand and appreciate different perspectives and world views; 3. the ability to engage in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and 4. the capacity to take action toward sustainable development and collective well-being.[1] The students were given the voluntary questionnaire before and after the program to Brazil which included the PISA global competence questions as well as information on demographics, languages spoken, and personal cultural influences.
This paper discusses the pedagogical and programmatic strategies that were implemented in the short-term international, faculty-led program to meet each of the 4 pillars of global competence. It also provides results and insight into which constructs of global competencies were strengthened in engineering students after participating in the program.
1. OECD (2019), &quot;PISA 2018 Global Competence Framework&quot;, in PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Framework, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/043fc3b0-en.

AU - Courtney Pfluger
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Developing a Global Competency Mindset in an International, Faculty-led Program in Brazil Focused on Sustainable Energy
UR - https://peer.asee.org/44647
DO - 10.18260/1-2--44647
ER -